Pitch update: BMW advertising account shortlist shapes up

BMW has shortlisted Inferno, SapientNitro and a team from BMB and Soul to compete against the incumbents, WCRS and Dare, for its UK advertising account. The review is being handled by AAR, with pitches scheduled to take place in May. WCRS’s relationship with the car marque is one of UK advertising’s most enduring, having lasted for 35 years. Uwe Dreher, BMW’s new UK marketing director, is overseeing the review.

BMB is also in the running for the Royal British Legion business, along with Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R and Lida (with support from M&C Saatchi). The pitches were held this week.

On the other side of the English Channel, French agencies have been pitching for EDF’s pan-European creative account earlier this week. The British shops – including the UK incumbent, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO – will have to sit on their hands to find out what the next stage will be.

Having been knocked off the global Vodafone contest last week, there is further disappointment for OMD – the agency has failed to make it through to the next stage of the £300 million media pitch for BGL Group, the owner of Comparethemarket.com. The incumbent, ZenithOptimedia, will compete against MEC.

And, finally, CHI & Partners and Leith have made it through to the final stage of the pitch for the launch of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group’s spin-off brand Williams & Glyn’s. The group is looking to appoint an agency that can handle the brand’s advertising, CRM, digital, media and PR.

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